Solution

Results

Reduced driver incidents, including collisions, by 55 to 60%

Reduced risky driving behavior scores

Reduced costs associated with vehicle collisions

The DriveCam Difference

AmeriGas Propane is the U.S.’s largest propane marketer, delivering bulk and cylinder propane to residential and commercial customers. The company also operates the nation’s largest cylinder exchange program, under the ACE brand.

The AmeriGas fleet of 6,000 trucks includes 3,000 delivery vehicles. As such, their trucks travel millions of miles a year, delivering a hazardous product.

Until recently, the company’s driver risk management and fuel management programs weren’t producing needed driver safety improvements. So AmeriGas implemented the DriveCam® safety program, using it as a coaching tool.

While initially worried that DriveCam event recorders were “Big Brother,” drivers soon came to value the event recorders as lifesaving, fleet-tracking tools. The DriveCam program helped drivers learn better driving habits, which in turn reduced collisions and injuries.

What’s more, since AmeriGas drivers make as many as fifteen to twenty stops per day, the DriveCam program continues to prove itself valuable in the company fleet productivity system—by teaching more efficient, time-saving work habits.

The DriveCam program's ability to record collisions has also helped the company track driver accountability and work successfully toward its goal of world-class safety. The DriveCam program has also reduced insurance liability claim exposure and increased driver safety.

Since implementing the DriveCam program fleet tracking program, AmeriGas Propane has achieved a 55% reduction in the number of driver-related incidents. Management is pleased with the improvements in fleet productivity, fleet safety, and driver risk management. Full transcript below.

Kevin Rumbelow, VP, Operations Support

“AmeriGas is the largest marketer of propane in the US. We deliver both bulk and cylinder propane to residential and commercial customers. We also are the largest barbeque cylinder supplier in the U.S. under the ACE brand.

“We have about 6,000 vehicles in our fleet; half of them are delivery vehicles, which we use in the DriveCam program. They are made up of bobtails, which deliver bulk; cylinder trucks, which deliver motor fuel cylinders; and the barbeque cylinder delivery trucks.

“We are a delivery company. As such, we travel millions of miles a year, delivering our product. It is a hazardous product, so we’re very concerned about that. We have implemented the Smith Driver Training Program in a number of facilities, but we weren’t seeing the kind of improvements that we wanted, in terms of vehicle incidents.

“When implementing the solution, we face issues related primarily to drivers. The key to this program is coaching. If your members are safe and professional drivers, then they should have no concerns about the camera being in the trucks. It’s only going to trigger if there is some kind of behavior that triggers the camera. That’s when we give them coaching.

“We have two examples where both drivers were coached to use their seat belts. Both drivers were subsequently involved in significant incidents, which undoubtedly saved them from significant injury or even death.

“They’re (drivers) convinced now that it isn’t really Big Brother watching them—that, instead, it’s a strong coaching tool for them. The real issue we have is related to delivery demand. We expect our drivers to make anywhere between fifteen to twenty stops per day. In some cases, that can be very demanding on their time.

“The DriveCam program gives us an insight into what the drivers are doing. Drivers are out there eight hours a day. The DriveCam program gives us the ability to see what regulations and procedures they may be violating—things such as seat belt use, eating and drinking, and things of that nature.

“We measure accountable vehicle incidence. This is a critical metric to get us to world class safety. We look at all incidences where the driver is accountable. The DriveCam program enables us to see how those events occur. It’s really important because we want to reduce the exposure and damage to our vehicles, to third parties, and to property.

“Also, we’re concerned about injuries to our drivers and third parties. In the overall program, we have seen a 55% to 60% reduction in the number of events and the score of those events since we implemented the program. We see that as a tremendous success.”

Conclusion

Ultimately, The DriveCam program has resolved a number of critical driver challenges that AmeriGas faced, helping the company near its goal of world-class safety.